Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Execution System

Lightweight, large screen, and fast processing speed.
The unparalleled convenience of the CF-H1 cannot be compared to a PDA.

An atmosphere of ancient history can be found in the Yoshinogari ruins, one of the oldest-known communities surrounded by moats in Japan. Nearby, Saga Factory of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is situated in a vast green site. Here at this factory, some popular nutraceutical products in Japan, namely Calorie Mate and POCARI SWEAT, and active pharmaceutical ingredients such as Mucosta and ABILIFY are manufactured. Toughbook CF-H1 has been demonstrating superior performance as a manufacturing execution system terminal used by staff at this active pharmaceutical ingredients production plant.

Contributing to healthy lives for people worldwide with the two main businesses of pharmaceuticals and consumer products

Operation room of the plant for active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical is engaged in business with the purpose of contributing to the health of people around the world based on its corporate philosophy of “Otsuka - people creating new products for better health worldwide.”

Saga Factory produces nutraceutical products, POCARI SWEAT and Calorie Mate, for general consumers as well as active pharmaceutical ingredients used in the anti-gastritis and the anti-gastric ulcer drug, Mucosta, and the antipsychotic drug, ABILIFY, and also carrier beads for medical device, Adacolumn.

The factory uses a system that not only enables the supply of products to the United States/Europe/Asia but worldwide as well, and at the same time, the factory received an award as a Green Factory from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry* (in 2003). Saga Factory also makes significant contributions to society in the ecological aspect through CO2 reduction from manufacturing lighter eco bottles than in the past and the use of food waste as livestock feed.

* Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan recognizes factories that actively promote afforestation activities and that have made significant achievements by contributing to improvement of their internal and external environments.

Adoption of Toughbook CF-H1 as a MES* Terminal

The Toughbook CF-H1 was adopted as a MES* terminal used in the active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing plant at Saga Factory. The most important factor in its selection was portability.

“In the case of a laptop PC, we have to carry barcode readers as well. Therefore, we were looking for an easy-to-carry terminal that also functions as a barcode reader” explained Mr. Syuji Ikeda, Section Chief, Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section.

In the beginning, Mr. Shuichi Okamoto from the Tokushima IT Office examined the introduction of a PDA as well.
“The operating system of PDA is not Windows. Also, I was concerned about the limited amount of information that can be seen, because the screen is so small.”

Upon seeing the Toughbook CF-H1 at the time, Mr. Norihiko Otsuka from the Manufacturing Process Development Section remarked, “I jumped at Toughbook CF-H1. I wanted this to be introduced”.

“I was surprised to find that the Toughbook CF-H1 is lighter than it looks when I actually held it. The screen is large and the speed is so fast that it can’t be compared to a PDA. I immediately recognized that there was no other better model than this.” (Mr. Otsuka)

Mr. Syuji Ikeda, Section Chief, Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section, Saga Factory, Production Headquarters
“I think the CF-H1 was the best choice since it satisfies all the functions/performance within our set budget.

Mr. Shuichi Okamoto, Tokushima IT Office
“In the beginning, we examined the introduction of PDAs; however, I was convinced that ‘This is it’ when I saw CF-H1.”

Mr. Norihiko Otsuka, Manufacturing Process Development Section, Saga Factory, Production Headquarters
“When I saw CF-H1 for the first time, I thought ‘This is great! I want introduction of the CF-H1 to be decided immediately.’”

Tough enough to be used outdoors and it comes with a bright screen that is easy to see even in sunny weather

Mr. Kunihiro Yamada, Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section, Saga Factory, Production Headquarters
“Operation with the touch panel is so fast. Reference to work history also has become extremely easy.”

Mr. Shingo Ikeda, Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section, Saga Factory, Production Headquarters
“Since the CF-H1’s screen is so bright, it is easy to see even outdoors in sunny weather.”

“OPERA-MES”, a pharmaceuticals manufacturing execution system, began operation in Saga Factory of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in November of 2009. At present, CF-H1s are deployed in the outdoor entrance for raw materials acceptance and the warehouse as well as in the manufacturing process of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

During delivery, raw materials such as organic solvent are first loaded into the factory from tanker trucks parked next to the entrance for raw materials acceptance. At that time, a staff member with a CF-H1, logs in with an ID/password (or finger vein authentication) and the receipt of goods is recorded at the actual site.

“The entrance for raw materials acceptance does not have a roof; however, the CF-H1 is fine even if it gets wet due to a little rain. Besides that, since the screen is so bright, it is easy to see even outdoors”, remarked Mr. Shingo Ikeda of the Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section.

Based on the receipt of materials record, the name, code, lot number, quantity and delivery date, and other information about each material are sent to a server via wireless LAN and printed out as a label with barcodes. The labels are output whenever each process is completed and placed on the finished items. The finished items are then sent on to the next process. Due to the use of barcode identification, both the inventory and the production process can be managed and mistakes can be prevented. In addition, staff members are able to work by following instructional information displayed on the screen of the CF-H1 such as the type, quantity, and temperature of the materials to be blended.

“It is great that we can enter data and reflect the entered data in the database instantly on the spot, instead of the operation room which is located a certain distance away from the site”, said Mr. Kunihiro Yamada from the Bulk Pharmaceutical Chemicals Section upon realizing the efficiency improvement/enhancement.

The advantages from making the manufacturing instructions paperless are also considerable.

“In the past, we printed out manufacturing instructions numbering dozens of pages every day and manually wrote down our records. The amount of paper to be stored was also tremendous and we had a lot of trouble with finding past records. However, by creating a database, we no longer have to use paper anymore and we can search the recorded data much more easily.” (Mr. Yamada)

Now that manufacturing records can be confirmed and approved on a screen, the CF-H1 is circulated like a paper document for approval.

Liquid ingredients transported by tanker trucks are loaded into tanks at the factory from valves at the entrance for accepting materials.
The staff member first logs onto the CF-H1 and then uses the CF-H1 to record the quantity received, etc.

The CF-30 is proving its value as a stationery PC at manufacturing sites.

With a fast touch panel, a large amount of information can be generously viewed at once in the large screen

The palm of your hand fits snugly against this dome on the underside.

The shape of the strap was designed to be easy to use and easy to hold.

The CF-H1 touch panel was highly regarded for its quickness.

“By just touching the screen with the pen, the CF-H1 reacts very quickly. Even when it is on the cradle, I use the pen since the mouse feels clumsy in comparison. ” (Mr. Yamada)

A large amount of information can be viewed at once on the large screen and work can be carried out properly after initial preparations are made.

“For example, even if I am currently working on a ‘Reaction’ process, and I want to know about the progress of the ‘Drying’ process, I can check the progress of other processes by switching the window on the screen. Therefore, I can prepare for the next step. We can’t do this with the small screen on a PDA.” (Mr. Yamada)

Beyond its robustness, the Toughbook CF-H1 has also been designed with a Hand-Free Ergonomic Strap. Thanks to this, the Toughbook CF-H1 has never been dropped on the floor even once.

“The strap on the bottom is great. It fits against the hand snugly and I can hold it securely. The handle is also easy to hold while walking. I think the design is really fantastic.” (Mr. Okamoto)

Also, two back up batteries per main unit are deployed. Another significant advantage is the Twin Hot Swappable Battery, which allows switching batteries without turning the computer off. So the factory can operate along 24 hours a day.

The fanless design allows use in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments that require strict management

Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is scheduled to introduce MES in its Tokushima Factory following introduction in Saga Factory reported here.

“The CF-H1 can be disinfected by simply wiping its body with alcohol, and since it is fanless, it can be considered for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments that require strict control.” (Mr. Okamoto)

The Toughbook CF-H1 is responding to various requests from work sites by making use of its wide variety of features. So the fields of work can be expanded further in the future.

Specification and configuration may vary depending on country. Accessories may vary depending on your mobile PC configuration. Specifications subject to change without notice.Consult a Panasonic sales office near you for more details and availability of integrated options.